Breathe
by Phoenyxx
Summary: [One Shot. Shounen Ai: Athrun x Kira] We are connected. Somehow, we'll sing to each other across the distance towards a neverending tomorrow. [Fantasy AU]


**Breathe**

**Warning: **Alternate Universe. Fantasy. Name omitted for the first two parts on purpose (So no, I didn't forget to tell you his name.).

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Gundam SEED.

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The traveller shifted under his cloak, the leather reins steering the horse biting into his hands. The sky had spiralled into darkness accompanied by the swirl of silver spectres gliding through the branches after he entered the forest; several times already, the forest would light up in a ghostly brightness, and the strange ambience would slowly die down - capturing the stars then letting them go.

Weary, the horse padded onwards through the dense overgrowth, the coal black eyes occasionally darting nervously, feeling the supernatural presence but not actually seeing them. The young man on the other hand paid no heed to the ghosts - there was only the feeling of grief from the life that was lost - and instead, focused on stroking the horse's head as he encouraged him to keep moving.

He clicked lightly, "Just a little while longer Opal."

The animal bobbed his head and whinnied, responding to the gentle caress and voice.

Both man and horse carried on through the sparkling night with no confirmed destination but rather, they were merely straying away from the road of ruin and war - away from the tyranny of the King. Free-thinkers, ethnic cultures, and the Iquua, were not allowed in the new-age empire and with the imperial army backing royal law, no one dared to rebel.

The horse slowed to a stop as they neared the edge of the haunted forest and gracefully dismounting the beast, the man crept to the bushes and peered above the foliage. His eyes widened slightly, spotting the white crest of the tide surging onto the beach.

He was near home. _Home_. Definitely, that was not the place he expected to be.

The young man tore off his cloak and tossed it onto the saddle of the horse before running across the soft sand towards the ocean. He stopped right at the waterline, taking care not to dampen his boots, and embraced the sea-grime smell with a smile. The spirits behind him seemed to sing with his happiness and the glowing pink of the moon basked the beach in an indefinitely soft light.

He turned his head and called out to his companion, "Opal!"

The rare-coloured mauve horse trotted obediently towards him, and grabbing onto the loose reins, he guided the horse on foot. The looming cliff edge in the distance reminded him of so much; his childhood as a lost orphan was spent here and there but only the village that he was approaching truly accepted him. His home with the Iquua, the elder Shamans, the flying fish and ring-tailed monkeys, is where he wanted to be right now. He was almost positive that the King's purge has not, and will never, reach there.

A ghost of a smile loomed on his face. Home has never sounded sweeter than now.

---  
_  
We were meant to be with each other…_

_So much of you is within me and so much of me is within you._

_The musical beats of the heart…The rising breath of the sea…_

_We are the children of the ocean; our destiny, a single delicate strand that weaves through many others - a single colour - a single breath - a single life._

---

He took a sharp intake of the musky air. "How can-?"

Arid…The air was burning. A cloud of acid was hovering over the village and the death wraiths flew haphazardly, looping between the oblivious, armoured warriors. The captain of the troops wore the King's crest and instantly, the man knew what happened. The warriors had taken the unsuspecting village by surprise; there was no way that the villagers could have defended themselves properly when more than half of the occupants were mere peasants. They destroyed his home; they destroyed his life.

_"But how could they have…?"_ His eyes dilated. _"Did they follow me?"_

And as if to answer his question, the captain barked out, "Stand in formation! We're leaving this place."

"But what about the shaman?"

The leader of the pack smirked, "He's of no more use to us, that insurgent. Let him rot here with his Damned."

_"Damned?"_ The young man shook with anger. _"How dare they slaughter my village and then mock them!"_

The troops stomped, their long lances and spears brandished into the air. "Yes General!"

_"No more…"_

His eyes sparked dangerously, the air growing hazy as he waited for the King's men to leave his peripheral vision. Without a sound, he rose from behind the rubble, and denounced the warriors in a cold voice.

_Creatures of the dark  
of the night  
of the shadows-_

The spirits stirred restlessly and the light from the moon wavered.

_-take blood  
take form  
take life-_

From the blood spilt by his kin rose dark creatures armoured with twisted metal. The moon was dipped in red, the light drowned by silver ghosts that ran rampant from his spell. By now, the King's warriors have noticed the change in atmosphere, and when they turned around to look at the desecrate village, they only saw the black hide of the creatures. On the cliff edge was the pinnacle of darkness; the shaman was casting a spell.

_-drive away the foe  
curse their weapons.  
Give them karma._

Slowly, the blood demons forwarded in a strange gait, ready to attack the opposition while the spectres weaved themselves behind the King's men to form a barrier to prevent them from escaping.

Entranced, the young shaman tilted his head, his mind lost in anger and grief. His mouth curved into a chilled smile, eyes glowing a blood red, and with a wave of his hand, the creatures preyed.

Screams of agony filled the night sky.

---

_Singing. Always singing. I can hear you my sweet dearest even though we're separated._

_I'm sorry but please, keep singing._

---

Shivering, the young man curled up tightly as he tried to regain his sense of touch. His whole body was numb and cold, so cold that his nerves were burning with pain.

_"What…happened?"_

"Are you awake?" asked a warm voice beside him.

Startled, the young man opened his eyes and glanced at the other person beside him except it was too dark to distinguish his features. The only light in the dark cave was provided by the glowing lichen on the walls and this light was reflected on the stranger's irises, making them glow a soft malachite.

He shook slightly and spoke in a wavering voice, "W-Who are you?" He gritted his teeth trying to stop them from chattering.

The other man didn't answer and instead stated, "You're different...like me."

"Different…?" The shaman sat up and rested his hands on his knees as he attempted to suppress the cold. There was something about this stranger that he trusted immediately.

"Of course but just like me." The stranger nodded and then added as an afterthought, "I saw you on the cliff."

"The cliff," repeated the man dully and managed to choke out a few sentences. "I-I lost control. My powers…they took control over my anger. And then…"

"And then the sheer force of your powers caused the cliff to crumble and you fell into the ocean," finished the other man.

"Is that what happened?" He laughed hollowly. "I can't remember."

"Well…it's alright now. There's no danger here." The stranger gazed thoughtfully at the shaman. "Why are you shaking?"

"Cold," murmured the young man. "It's very cold here. Actually, where is here?"

"Underwater cave."

"Underwater…" The shaman shook his head. "Am I wet? Maybe that's why I'm cold…I can't tell. Too cold…cold…" He shuddered and closed his eyes, feeling very drained. He'll need time to recover his magic.

"Here, take my hand. We'll go to someplace warmer."

The shaman felt him wrap his warm fingers around his wrist and with ease, the stranger dragged him…into a pool of water.

He yelped from the sudden drop in temperature but that wasn't the end of his ails as they went under the water, effectively cutting off his oxygen. The water was dark and oppressing, and he tried to struggle away from the suicidal man but whether it was from the lack of air or by his weakened state, he was unsuccessful.

Suddenly, both his wrists were held tightly by the stranger and with force, he stilled the young shaman with a kiss. Except, it wasn't an ordinary peck on the lips, rather, a glowing light erupted from the stranger's throat and this light was transferred into the shaman.

The stranger broke away from the man and waited for his reaction, viridian eyes alighted by the residual aurora.

Bubbles of air came out of the man's mouth and without thinking, he respired. "I'm breathing." Amazed, he touched his throat. "I'm breathing and talking underwater."

"It worked," remarked the stranger. "Come. We'll head to the open fissures." The same delicate hand grabbed the shaman's hand and the stranger propelled them both through the water.

"This is…" He shook his head in disbelief, briefly forgetting about the numbness. "Who are you?" The shaman's breath came quicker. "Do I…know you?"

"My name…" The stranger hesitated before tightening his grip around the shaman's hand. "My name is Athrun."

"Ath-run…" The young man closed his eyes, resting lightly against the other. "Thank you Athrun, for saving me."

Athrun fell silent and guided him onwards. Gradually the darkness was diffused with light from the sun and the two of them emerged from the cave entrance. The shaman glanced at his companion and he paused in semi-shock.

He didn't have legs; instead he had a gracefully webbed tail, patterned with shining, green scales. While fins protruded from his muscular arms, his torso was unblemished. On his face, there was a faded grey mark on his left temple.

"You're…" He was at a loss of words. Never in his lifetime did he expect that he would be rescued by this mythical creature.

"I'm a mer."

He nodded dumbly, overwhelmed by his presence. "You're…amazing."

"…" Athrun floated in the water uncomfortably before looking upwards and into the wavering sun, murmuring quietly, "Kira…"

Alarmed, the shaman gazed sharply at the mer, "How did you know my name?"

He turned his head with remorse and gazed sadly at him. "You really don't remember."

Kira frowned, swimming in a circle around Athrun to stay aloft, "Remember what?"

"We can't talk here." Athrun turned away and began swimming. "Let's keep going."

"But-" Confused, he followed the mer. "Am I supposed to know you?"

Athrun didn't respond to his inquiry; instead he grabbed Kira's hand and swam even quicker. They dove past open trenches and schools of fish, swimming around the coral, trying to remain hidden. After awhile, the mer darted past a rock face and stalled, deeming the area to be safe.

Urgently, the mer gazed at him. "We're the last…"

"What do you mean?" Caught off guard, he rested against the large protruding rock as Athrun swam back and forth, clearly agitated.

"The King on land. He poisoned the waters with foreign magic. The society of mer, they're trapped in the ruins." The mer paused and glanced at Kira. "I was the only one who escaped. The only one in my society. Our society. Do you follow, Kira?"

"I-"

"No, of course you don't. You don't remember," he muttered bitterly.

"What do I not remember? Tell me," implored the young shaman.

Athrun swam forwards and tilted Kira's head tenderly. "You were banished from here because of your gift."

"Banished?"

"Exiled. My father made it law." The mer shook his head. "It was because you had the unnatural gift of shape shift." He moved stray locks of hair from Kira's temple and rested his fingers there. "Before you left, he sealed your powers and trapped you in the form of a human."

"…Is that why I was alone?" He muttered despondently. "He was the one who took away my family?"

"I-I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault. I'm used to being alone."

"But it is my fault. I wasn't able to help you, my best friend." Athrun's eyes flickered.

_"Best friend."_ Kira shook his head. "Guilt won't help now. Why are you telling me this?"

"Take my hand, Kira." Expression unreadable, Athrun offered him his left hand. "I'll show you why I'm telling you this."

He bit his lip and wrapped his fingers around the proffered hand. Slowly, the pair ascended through the water, and at Athrun's lead, began swimming.

An echoing silence fell upon the two…Kira twisted his head, catching Athrun's gaze. _"I think I know you."_

---  
_  
Don't you understand that you're mine?_

_Don't you understand that I'm yours?_

_You are my precious-_

---

Kira's violet eyes widened in surprise and he unconsciously tightened his grip on Athrun's hand. "This is…"

Unraveled under the sheer light of the sun, the ruins of the city glimmered in a soft, lonely light. Many souls flew gently in the water, the colour of dark red - a bad omen - and the most horrifying part were the statues that were scattered along the sea floor…

"What is this?" Kira turned his gaze onto Athrun, waiting for an explanation.

"The evil magic that polluted the sea…" The young mer pressed closer to Kira. "They froze the population."

"How could this happen?" The shaman was unnerved by the screaming. The sea was screaming and the souls were screaming and the mer in stone were screaming. Screaming for sacrifice. Screaming for release.

Shadows…Slow resonating pulse. In the waves there was the looming blood lust…Lust for blood was looming in the waves. There was no life that lingered with Death - the Skull was still looming in the lust. Death turned his gaze upon the pair, hollow eyes staring and waiting.

Kira's face whitened, his eyes downcast. "We should go."

Athrun nodded, also magically tuned to his surroundings, and glanced at him tenderly. They swam for a distance, Kira lagging a bit from the magical shock, before the mer stopped. He pressed his fingertips against Kira's temple again, his eyes locked on him. "Are you…willing to help your kin?"

"I…" Kira closed his eyes and rested his head against Athrun's hand. "I'm not sure. This is too much and too sudden but…"

Athrun waited patiently for Kira to continue.

Violet eyes observed the mer softly. "…Why do I find myself trusting you? Trusting you with my entirety?" He pressed on, his words passionate and uncertain, "Are you placing an enchantment on me? Just…Why am I even telling you this? Tell me, Athrun; I just-my heart-you-!"

"Kira…" Athrun placed a gentle kiss on his forehead. "Calm down."

Hesitant, Kira touched Athrun's cheek and rested his fingers against the grey mark on his forehead. Heat and magic pulsed from the mark…

Athrun hissed in surprise, green eyes bright, before kissing Kira passionately; startled, Kira stilled and didn't do anything…

Removing his lips gently, the mer whispered softly, the mark on his forehead glowing dimly in a deep violet, "You're my soul mate."

---

_You're my precious-_

_You are my precious-_

_You are my precious soul mate._

---

"Soul…mate." Kira stared at Athrun before looking down at their torsos. In the light of lilac from Athrun, and the light of viridian from Kira, a silver thread was linked from his heart to Athrun's. Before he could stop himself, he murmured, "This is…impossible. There is no such thing as soul mates."

"And yet, we are, Kira."

"It can't be true. This is only in books and believed by romantics!" The glowing light died down and Kira gazed at Athrun urgently, trying to believe his own words. If he repeated them enough…maybe…

"_So much of you is within me and so much of me is within you_," murmured Athrun.

Surprised, Kira exclaimed, "My dreams! Someone kept repeating that but I didn't know who."

"We were always together." Athrun embraced Kira tenderly, his cheek pressed against his neck and shoulder. "Soul mates-"

"-are linked," finished Kira.

"This was the greater reason…why my father…"

"He exiled me because of…us?"

"He knew that if it became _we_ or _us_…" He trailed off and shook his head. "There is no possible way that two males can procreate. He needed our family line to continue." Athrun gazed at Kira sadly. "But now, look at our underwater world. There is no way our society can carry on like this."

Kira pressed his hand against Athrun's chest, feeling his soul mate's remorse twist his own heart. "Your sadness…I can feel it."

"It's because we're connected."

He shyly kissed his cheek. "Athrun…If we go and do reverse the effects of the magic placed on this society…"

"I know, Kira. That's why we need to enjoy every moment we have with each other…"

"…Since once we triumph over the tyrant King we'll be separated again."

Athrun gazed at Kira mildly, his hand lovingly caressing his cheek. "We might be separated physically, but…we're always connected. They can never sever that link."

"Never?"

"Never…"

Kira linked his hands with Athrun's, a reawakened flow of magic coursing through his blood, a warmth suffused into his being; Violet eyes brightened by love and dimmed by depression, he spoke, "Let's go…together."

Athrun nodded, "Let's go together and begin the restoration."

Their lips met languidly. _Together, we'll win and lose at the same time._

---

_Keep singing my soul mate. I can feel you touch my heart again and again._

_We might be torn apart…We might not reach each other physically…_

_Soul mate, will you sing to me under the crests of light? Your song of love binds me to you eternally._

_Breathe for me._

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**What happens next…is for you to decide in your imagination. End.**

I'm such a hopeless romantic...A contribution to May 18 - Asukira style if you dislike the heterosexual pairings.

Spyrit


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